Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Fleetwood Mac is set to receive its first fully authorized documentary



Fleetwood Mac is set to receive its first fully authorized documentary, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Frank Marshall for Apple Original Films.

The untitled feature will include new interviews with surviving core members Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie, along with never-before-seen footage and both new and archival interviews with the late Christine McVie, who passed away in 2022. A release date has yet to be announced.

Directed by Frank Marshall, a five-time Oscar nominee and recipient of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the project marks the first fully authorized documentary with participation from all surviving band members. Fleetwood Mac—comprising Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie, Stevie Nicks, and Lindsey Buckingham—is celebrated for iconic albums like Rumours and Tusk, as well as hits like “Rhiannon” and “Landslide.” Their turbulent relationships, often reflected in their music, added to their legendary status.

“I am fascinated by how this incredible story of enormous musical achievement came about. Fleetwood Mac somehow managed to merge their often chaotic and almost operatic personal lives into their own tale in real time, which then became legend. This will be a film about the music and the people who created it,” said director Marshall in an official statement.

Added producer Nicholas Ferrall, “Fleetwood Mac are a musical phenomenon, their alchemy almost beyond comprehension. White Horse is grateful and humbled by the extraordinary opportunity to produce a documentary that dives deep into both the talents of each band member individually and the magic that is Fleetwood Mac as a whole.”

Per today’s announcement, the film will follow “their fortuitous meeting in 1974” and see Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, and Stevie Nicks “reflect on their uncompromising fifty-plus-year history, from their record-breaking recordings and tours — including never-before-seen footage, exclusive new interviews, and archival interviews of the late Christine McVie — through to today. The film will explore how the band’s trials and tribulations, personal resilience, and musical dexterity combined to create songs that have not only stood the test of time but are indeed timeless masterpieces.”

Marshall’s film promises to “take fans through the highs and lows of their brilliant career, illuminating the exceptional ingredients each member brought to the band’s uncommon alchemy — a musical union that sold more than 220 million records around the world. The documentary will explore what allowed this combination of artists to create singular musical work again and again, and what drew them back together and held them there when every possible pressure, both outside and inside the band, threatened to blow them apart.”

Director Frank Marshall produces through The Kennedy/Marshall Company with White Horse Pictures’ Nicholas Ferrall (“The Beatles: Eight Days A Week,” “Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A.”) and Jeanne Elfant Festa (“The Apollo,” “Lucy and Desi”), and Kennedy/Marshall’s Aly Parker (“The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart,” “The Space Race”). White Horse’s Cassidy Hartmann executive produces with Kennedy/Marshall’s Tony Rosenthal. Diamond Doc’s Mark Monroe serves as writer and executive producer.



Fleetwood Mac Documentary Announced by Apple Original Films

BY JESSICA LYNCH
Billboard

Apple Original Films has unveiled plans for a new definitive documentary chronicling the legendary Fleetwood Mac. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Frank Marshall, a five-time Academy Award nominee and winner of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the project marks the first fully authorized documentary about the band.

For the first time, Fleetwood Mac members will narrate their own extraordinary story, supported by exclusive interviews, archival footage, and unseen material, including tributes to the late Christine McVie.

The film promises to delve into Fleetwood Mac’s meteoric rise and the personal and professional dynamics that shaped their legacy. From the band’s formation in 1967 to their groundbreaking albums and record-breaking tours, the documentary will explore the unique alchemy between Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, and Christine McVie that produced some of the most enduring music of the modern era.

Fleetwood Mac’s impact on the Billboard charts underscores their legendary status. The band has charted 25 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, with nine Top 10 hits, including their sole No. 1 single, “Dreams,” which spent 19 weeks on the chart during its original release in 1977. On the Billboard 200, the band has placed 30 albums, with four reaching the summit: Fleetwood Mac (1975), Rumours (1977), Mirage (1982) and The Dance (1997).

Their 1977 masterpiece Rumours achieved an extraordinary 31 weeks at No. 1 and remains one of the best-selling albums of all time, with over 40 million copies sold globally, with over 20 million copies being in the US alone.

In a statement, director Frank Marshall reflected on the band’s cultural significance, saying, “I am fascinated by how this incredible story of enormous musical achievement came about. Fleetwood Mac somehow managed to merge their often chaotic and almost operatic personal lives into their own tale in real-time, which then became legend. This will be a film about the music and the people who created it.”

Producer Nicholas Ferrall added, “We are thrilled to continue our creative partnership with Frank and the talented team at Kennedy/Marshall. Fleetwood Mac are a musical phenomenon, their alchemy almost beyond comprehension. White Horse is grateful and humbled by the extraordinary opportunity to produce a documentary that dives deep into both the talents of each band member individually and the magic that is Fleetwood Mac as a whole. And to do this with the support and reach of Apple is quite wonderful.”

The documentary, which is yet to be titled, joins Apple Original Films’ prestigious catalog of projects, including the Academy Award-winning CODA and the Emmy-winning STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie.


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